The Bharatiya Janata Party’s recent governance of West Bengal is steering the state’s cultural landscape toward a more overt Hindutva orientation, according to observers. Within six months of the party’s ascent, long‑standing practices of secular celebration and culinary freedom during Durga Puja have faced new restrictions, including calls for vegetarianism and the discouragement of the traditional term “Sharadotsav.”
Northern‑origin holy men, such as semi‑naked Naga sadhus, have been seen outside institutions like Jadavpur University, while self‑styled godman Baba Bageshwar publicly chastised Bengalis for eating meat, urging a “boycott” of Hindus who consume “dirty” non‑vegetarian food during the festivals. Visuals of the godman at Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s residence linked the political leadership to these messages, even as some party members tried to distance themselves.
The cultural shift manifested physically when Left‑run book stalls, a customary feature of Durga Puja pandals, were vandalised. Later, images of Baba Bageshwar were burned in protest, prompting Adhikari to issue strict orders in response. The chief minister was also photographed singing at the Annakut celebrations in ISKCON, Purba Medinipur on November 10, 2026, underscoring the new government’s visible endorsement of Hindu rituals.
These developments suggest a marked polarisation of Bengal’s traditionally inclusive society, with the state’s multi‑coloured identity increasingly taking on a saffron hue under BJP rule.
